One of the most serious faults of golfers, particularly beginners, is their failure to keep the head of the club low during the forward swing. Ideally, the head of the club should strike the ball while instantaneously traveling in a horizontal plane. Striking the ball too high with the club head is often referred to as “topping” the ball. It is necessary for the club head to get under the ball sufficiently to lift the ball into the air for a successful drive. Topping the ball typically results in a significantly shorter and unsatisfactory distance that the ball is driven.
Further, in many cases, the inexperienced golfer will shorten the arc through which the head passes due to improper wrist action. That is, the inexperienced golfer will ordinarily “break” his or her wrists too soon in the backward stroke; whereas a delayed wrist action is desired where the wrists break just before impact with the ball.
Another fault of the inexperienced golfer is the failure to keep his or her head down. The normal tendency of any beginner is to lift his or her head too soon, in which case the proper swing cannot be executed. When the golfer lifts his or her head at the time of impact, topping will occur. The golfer would have to speculate or wonder if there was upper movement of his or her head that prevented the optimal trajectory. Finally, many inexperienced golfers have difficulty in aiming their shot.
It would be desirable if a new, portable training device were available to help novice golfers improve their golf swings, particularly to train them to get under the ball by an appropriate amount.